News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
Sorted by date Results 1272 - 1296 of 3686
Steptoe Butte lies 12 miles north of Colfax, the Whitman County seat. Its elevation is 3,612 feet, hovering over the Palouse wheat fields. It is said that on the horizon you can see the high mountains in Montana. For me, the view affords me a visit to many of the places that made my Palouse childhood so pleasant. To the southeast are the hills in Idaho where my family spent many a fall day picking huckleberries. The picking was always good, and my dad would scout the area so we would have success. I spent many a day probing huckleberry bush....
Just a comment on Scott Hunter’s thoughts on starting in-person learning again: In my 70s and raising a now teenager who says I am an (old fashioned, crazy, crabby old lady), I often wonder if she is right. I have answered the questionnaires, polls and spoken to school administration a few times. I keep up with the Covid stats for WA, and so far I am for keeping distance learning for, who knows how much longer. Thank you, Scott, for your like opinion. I just heard tonight (Nov. 15) that Gov. Inslee is on the brink of closing the state down a...
The other day I made a public information request for documents concerning the GCD School District Board meeting on Nov. 9th, 2020. One item I asked for was a copy of Form 1430F, Request to be Placed on the Board Agenda. This form is to be filled out by the public if they wish to be placed on the agenda to make a presentation during the “public comments” portion of a school board meeting. The Superintendent is to read and approve the request, confirming it doesn’t have anything construed as “singling out” or of a discriminatory nature. I...
I cried today — Friends and family of John Coykendall will understand. A more genuine and dear soul you would not find. I enjoyed conversation with him over the great little things and the little big things. (To clarify: he recognized the daily little things were the really important stuff life was made of, more so than the bigger world stuff). He was interesting and spoke with a twinkle in his eye. He was both lighthearted and deep —eager to share his experiences, but never pushy. I cried today, realizing I would no more hear his stories of...
It’s no secret that the Coronavirus pandemic has made a huge impact on how Washington retailers and restaurants operate. With additional restrictions implemented at the start of the holiday season as cases surge, it’s another challenge for local small businesses. But that’s where we as a community can step in. Small retailers and restaurants are relying on us to send a message with our dollars that says, “We’ve got your back.” And in 2020, this support is needed more than ever. Approximately 62% of small businesses have reported they need t...
Colleen Leskinen has had her eye on Nespelem for a very long time, essentially since her birth year, 67 years ago. Some people know her as the lady who runs the daycare, within the shadow of the town limits. Others know her as the town mayor and councilwoman and town administrator. Everyone knows Colleen. Currently, she runs a daycare on an 80-acre ranch, just a stone’s throw from town center; maybe a hefty toss. Colleen welcomes some 28 kids on weekdays. Her daycare acts as an extension of the public school system, with 15 students and a...
We have to get back to normal sometime, it’s true. But when? The Grand Coulee Dam School District directors voted last night (Monday) to implement a plan for a phased-in restart even for the seventh- through 12th-graders. They’ll be back in physical classrooms just one day a week starting in early December. The phase in is planned out as far as April, when they will be back in classrooms four days a week, according to the plan. The district is beginning this path just as the nation and this state are posting record infection numbers rates for... Full story
This week I would like to recognize and honor service personnel, past and present. I came from a military family. My father was in the army in World War I. I still have his papers from when he was called up, and his discharge. My three brothers served in World War II, one in Navy, one in the Air Corps and the other in the Army. All were in the fighting, two in the Pacific and the other in the African and German theaters. I remember how proud my father was when my oldest brother was home on furlough midway in his Army career. He had just...
Through his entire life, Donald Trump has been a SLAPP master. What is SLAPP, you ask? Good question. It stands for “strategic lawsuit against public participation.” For our purposes, it means frivolous legal action, usually by someone with deep pockets, designed to use the court system to intimidate someone else who doesn’t have deep pockets. SLAPPs are against the law in 30 states and D.C. But how does one prove that the litigation crosses the line? The misuse of the legal system is one of the sleaziest tactics available to lawyers and their...
Pending the outcome in a few key states, Donald Trump may be leaving the White House, but he’s not exiting the room. The fiercest Never Trump critics hoped for -- and wishfully predicted -- a cleansing landslide that would wipe out every trace of Trump and his enablers from the GOP. That’s not happening. Trump’s poll- and pundit-defying surge toward the cusp of a second term vindicates Trump’s approach enough to give him and his potential successors continued traction, if not a dominant voice, in the party. Trump’s possible loss is nothing like...
The little lot on the corner of Main and Spokane Way and at the heart of a controversy over city standards offers, in the narrower view, a conundrum for the city if it reconsiders whether a city code is being violated, one that limits outdoor advertising. But the bigger picture is more meaningful and invites serious, thoughtful discussion and long-term solutions. Those solutions, judging from public comments offered so far, including some on this page, are obviously needed because the corner in violation of the code looks far better than a...
Last week’s Star, front page, “Council: property owner must remove signs” Are you kidding me, Grand Coulee Council? City Code, Chapter 17.60 says that only one sign is allowed on that lot? That lot, which happens to be well kept, eye-appealing, and will be used to further the greater Grand Coulee area, is breaking some kind of code? What about concerns about filthy properties that are for sure breaking code? Why is every excuse in the book used why nothing can be done about them? An array of junk vehicles, never to be used again or in most...
We are writing in regard to the article in last week’s Star, “Council: Property Owner Must Remove Signs.” As the previous owners of the property located on the corner of Main Street in Grand Coulee, we felt we needed to set the record straight. The City’s Mayor referring to us in The Star last week and implying that we tried to pull anything over on the new owner of this property is not only misinformed, but slander. Every improvement our family ever made to that community over the years were always permitted and approved by your City Hall. P...
The first time I saw Glenn Yarbrough was at a small roadhouse on the eastern edge of Seattle, just off I-90. It was the first time I saw him on one of his farewell tours. I had seen a small ad in the Times and took a chance that I would enjoy him. And indeed I did. The roadhouse was one of those places where you paid for dinner, four watered-down drinks all served up front, and the entertainment. Yarbrough had been the lead singer for the Limelighters from 1959-63, and had been striking out on his own. It was a small crowd, maybe 100 people....
We aren’t out of Autumn yet and already we’ve had a reminder of winter weather. Though, our recent “winter” weather event wasn’t unprecedented. The records show that we’ve had five occurrences of snow in October dating back to 1934 when records started. In fact, in 1971, we had 1.3 inches of snowfall. John Steinbeck once said, “What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.” Winter will arrive soon enough. Let us take a look at what we might expect to see....
Over the past few months, catastrophic wildfires raged – once again – throughout Central Washington and across the West. Smoke blanketed the Pacific Northwest, and whole towns were essentially wiped off the map. Unfortunately, we are not strangers to the devastation of catastrophic wildfires. This year, in the midst of a global pandemic that already put strain on our local economy and agriculture industry, the damages seem even greater. While the fires may no longer be burning here at home, the impacts on our communities remain. I recently vis...
SUNNYSIDE—At 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, daylight saving time for 2020 will come to an end, clocks will turn back an hour, and State Sen. Jim Honeyford, R-Sunnyside, will once again lament that this annual ritual is even still a thing Washingtonians must do. The Republican lawmaker has been working for several years, with numerous states, to develop language to move to permanent daylight saving time. That effort was thwarted during the 2019 session, when the Democrat majority co-opted the issue and passed a measure of its own, which Honeyford s... Full story
Voting is our civic obligation, but loving our neighbors is our moral duty. One does little common good without the other in a democracy. If you have not yet voted, you should. At this point in the week, you might be better off putting your ballot in one of the several collection boxes available. Those will be emptied for the final time on election night at 8 p.m. U.S. Postal Service officials earlier this week recommended mailing ballots at least a week in advance, but we’re past that point. No matter which way you vote, bear in mind that t... Full story
Sixty-four days and 2020 will be gone, and we all hope that 2021 will be a lot better year for everyone and everything. As I am sure you are aware, the Grand Coulee Dam Area organizations have taken a very large hit. They have not been able to hold their annual money raising events, so their treasurers are short. Even though several organizations have not had events, the volunteers have still been very busy trying to keep the clubs going. The holidays are almost upon us, so now is the time to dig a little deeper into your pockets and support...
I see that the Ice Age Park is now coming up for a vote with the final decision being left to the Electric City Community but the enjoyment of it being shared by many of those passing through. A few months back, Harvey Haven of Amboy, Washington, a former resident of the area during our growing up years, penned a letter to the editor extolling the virtues of having such an attraction to the area. Even though the letter was sent to The Star, it was directed to the citizens of Electric City and at that time to the Powers that Be. I felt it was...
Wow, it was great to hear from Ray Gilman in The Star newspaper last week. Ray served the Grand Coulee Dam School District as an administrator for decades. His loyalty and longevity were amazing. He is aware of what is going on with funding in our local school district, regionally and statewide. Our school district is in the “B” school classification. “B” schools are the smallest size-wise in Washington state. With our student population, we are grossly over-staffed with administrators. Ray is spot on about the district office, but there is ove...
If you really want to know when the Bureau of Reclamation fire station will be completed, keep track of the sani-cans outside. Star reporter Jacob Wagner gave a good rundown of the history of the project in the newspaper a couple of weeks ago. I would like to fill in the story a bit. The estimated cost of the project was $13.6 million. It is now estimated that the fire station will be completed in 2021. The project was started in 2016, with the awarding of the construction contract. Total cost is a number that would be embarrassing even for any...
I have often said that small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and that could not be truer in Central Washington’s rural communities. The owners and employees of Main Street businesses are integral to the well-being of our communities, and the support for small businesses I have witnessed during my travels throughout our district is inspiring. We are in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic, which has affected nearly every aspect of our daily lives. Unfortunately, our small and local businesses – from restaurants and clothing ret...
I would like to give big thanks to the Grand Coulee Firefighter-EMTs. They are covering double the area by covering Coulee Dam and were so helpful and comforting when I had a medical emergency recently. I wish I had gotten all their names. Thank you, Tyler! So happy to know these fine gentleman (and ladies) are there for us, volunteering their time to keep the community safe. Winona Simons...
Our local Star newspaper has always done a good job of sharing a diversity of viewpoints: It is extremely hard for me to share these thoughts. Numerous people over the last few years have shared frustrations with me about our local school district. Many have felt they were treated poorly or even ignored. Some have taken their students out of our district. I’ve listened and shared productive solutions. I have lived in Coulee Dam for almost 40 years and have always supported our school district no matter what. I also show up and cheer on our R...